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Russian Flagship Ablaze, Abandoned, SUNK!


Russian Slava Class Guided Missile Cruiser Moskva

Russian spox say its guided missile cruiser Moskva has caught fire after an onboard ammunition explosion. The crew has abandoned the ship.

“The ship was seriously damaged,” the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying. The crew of the Moskva has been evacuated and the cause of the fire that prompted the explosion is being investigated.

No further elaboration on the source of the fire was forthcoming. From the Russians, anyway.

Russian Navy Confirms Severe Damage to Black Sea Cruiser Moskva, Crew Abandoned Ship

By: Heather Mongilio

The Russian Navy’s Black Sea flagship has suffered major damage and the crew has abandoned the ship, state media said late Tuesday in reports following Ukrainian claims of hitting the ship with a missile strike.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed the mishap on RTS Moskva (121), a ship in the country’s Black Sea Fleet, according to state-run outlet TASS.

The crew of the Moskva the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet was severely damaged and the crew abandoned ship, the Russian Defense Ministry told TASS.

A fire broke out on the ship, causing ammunition to detonate, according to TASS. State media did not elaborate on the cause of the fire.

Ukrainian officials claimed that shore-based anti-ship guided missiles hit Moskva which had been operating from the Black Sea Fleet’s headquarters in Sevastopol, Crimea.

“It has been confirmed that the missile cruiser Moskva today went exactly where it was sent by our border guards on Snake Island!” Odesa governor Maksym Marchenko said in a Telegram message on Tuesday.
“Neptune missiles guarding the Black Sea caused very serious damage to the Russian ship.”

Neptunes, first fielded in 2021, are based on the Soviet AS-20 ‘Kayak’anti-ship missile which is similar to the U.S.-built Harpoon missile.

USNI

Some reports have the ship already sunk. This is a major blow to the Russians regardless of the cause. If the Ukrainians did indeed strike Moskva, and I see no evidence they didn’t, the irony is pretty sweet. Using improved Russian anti-ship cruise missiles that are copies of our own AGM-84 Harpoons against the invaders just sings.

Hat tip to ChipNASA for the very early email.

UPDATE
Ukraine: Russia says its Black Sea flagship ‘Moskva’ has sunk
DW Link

61 thoughts on “Russian Flagship Ablaze, Abandoned, SUNK!

  1. Nice to get confirmation of the hit and damage from ivan. I recall seeing the clip where the Ukranians claimed to have hit the ship.

    1. Russkies smoking while cleaning sh*t with gasoline after drinking all the alcohol products…

    2. “…we still don’t know if the Ukrainians tagged that or it blew itself up like the Kursk did…”

      Either way, Russia has major egg on its face…

  2. Burn, Baby, Burn!

    “Ya see Leige, pull his teeth and he’s harmless as a heel hound.”

    Wonder if they teach Russky Sailors how to swim? Obvious they don’t teach them anything else. ‘least they ain’t running their ships into one another…or underwater mountains, so there is that.

      1. Just like when the “Comancheros” were feeling cocky and you heard “Get ready Little Lady, Hell’s coming to Breakfast!” much like when the Russkies were feeling all cocky before the Ukrainians kicked them right back in the balls and teeth at the same time.

    1. The failure of the Russian Armed Forces in their Ukraine Adventure can be directly attributed to their failure to complete Diversity Training and Combatting White Racism.

      1. I bet not even a one of them has completed their SHARP Training either!

  3. I wonder if Ukraine decided to toss a rock at Ivan’s rowboat. In all honesty, whether they did it or not, the media will say they did it and they’ll say they did it.

  4. What is it with all these odd mishaps with the Russian military lately? Strange that a fire would just break out for no reason.

    1. But a fire did break out suddenly! Mostly from the sustainer motor coming apart from the impact, and being shattered all over the ship interior when the warhead blew. But yeah, no real reason…

    1. That was indeed an excellent and informative read, CDR D. It confirms ol’ Poe’s beliefs concerning the extant opposing forces, although he is a bit dismayed to note that LTG Hertling is a CNN analyst.

      1. Maybe he wasn’t screened by Zucker, who is no longer pulling the strings at CNN, and slipped through.

  5. OK, this took way too long to do and is Marine level graphics but I hope you enjoy it.

    1. This is where you “kill them again” and take out the tug or tow vessel along with the Moskva.

    2. Thanks for the update, Chip. I’m very interested in seeing the damage.
      With luck it’ll sink at pier side.

      1. A goodly portion of the Russian navy has done just that due to a massive shortage of funds to keep them afloat.

        1. Just look at Russia’s sole Aircraft Carrier which while at Sea looks like it burns used tires for propulsion and gets accompanied by Tugs for WHEN it breaks down!

      1. I don’t think I’d like to be the Admiral in charge of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet right now . . . .

        1. He may already be headed to Siberia. Putin doesn’t bother with due process. He may be on the same train as those FSB agents accused of treason.

          1. Could well be the case.

            And it’s not just Putin who’s not inclined to allow much due process. Russia hasn’t exactly been big on respecting individual rights and/or due-process jurisprudence since at least the days of Ivan the Dread (AKA Ivan the Terrible), if not before. In that respect Putin’s simply acting like any typical Russian leader from the past 500 or so years.

        2. Easiest job in the world, next to being Joe Biden’s speech writer. When he wants to inspect his fleet, he just needs to buy a ticket on a glass bottom boat.

      1. Yeah, you know things are shit when fkcking Yahoo News gets a hold of it.
        Pretty much everyone has said in the last 2 hours…
        Sink, Sank, SUNK!!!!

  6. Even as a Marine, I shudder to think what Russian Navy shipboard Damage Control capabilities actually are.

    1. Vodka Piss.
       🤔  😁  😵  🔥  💥 

  7. Best two comments of the day:

    Any ship can become a submarine–ONCE.

    Why is the new Russian Navy building glass-bottomed ships? So they can see the old Russian Navy.

  8. Rumor has it that the Russian Navy now denies the Moskva has been sunk and instead has been converted into a Submarine which is now on its initial Underwater Sea Trials.

  9. Caught fire…ammo exploded…sunk…Yeah, after a missile struck it. The old ‘Lies by omission ploy”.

    DC was kind of my thing, so stop selling ’cause I ain’t buyin’.

  10. OK kinda serious question…but also who cares too….
    The Moskva was supposed to have a crew of about 500 but some reports say Turkey was able to rescue about 57 of them. What happened to the other 450??  😯 
    Oh wait, Russia said they were evacuated to other ships in the area when the “fire” broke out.
    Huh, fuzzy Democratic maths.
    I am not at all vouching for the legitimacy of any of these links.

    https://www.maritimebulletin.net/2022/04/13/russian-flagship-cruiser-moskva-hit-by-two-missiles/

        1. To put a positive spin on this disaster, when the crew of the Moskva holds their reunion, they should save a bundle on the hall rental and catering.

  11. Went out on Al Gore’s Amazing Internet looking for the last time, before this week, a naval vessel was lost in combat. Didn’t find the specific answer, but did find this interesting article. Only two submarines have racked up a sunken ship in combat since WWII. Possibly Argentina gets the glory of losing a ship in combat last. A 40 year dry spell, and the Russians filled the quota.

    https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/these-are-the-only-2-subs-that-sank-enemy-ships-in-combat-since-1945/

    1. Ahem: try 2010, and it appears to have been a sub that was responsible then too.

      https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-did-north-korea-sink-south-korean-warship-cheonan-2010-115551

      Roughly 12 years prior, South Korea sank a North Korean naval vessel.

      https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/15/world/south-korea-sinks-vessel-from-north-in-disputed-waters.html

      The Korean War hasn’t technically ended (armistice vice peace treaty) so technically a state of war still exists between North and South Korea.

        1. “How did Hack stone ever miss that?” Welp, let me count the ways. Distracted by being Elaine Ricci’s Sugar Boi? Hanging out at the off ramp near St Rd 23 (on the Frontage Rd), peddling outdated software? Using said outdated software to surf the webz on? Spending too much time practicing copy paste skilz while wearing out your F5 key? Weak from hunger because of the shortage of 64 count Crayola Ration Boxes?

          Google wishes he was Hondo.

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